What are the differences with handling tobacco products for Registered Tobacconists and Non-Registered Tobacconists?
It is generally accepted that more scrutiny is involved in the purchase decision for an item such as a cigar than for cigarettes. For registered tobacconists who are exempt from the prohibition under section 3.1 of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, allowing a customer to handle a cigar or other such specialty product is not prohibited. However, with respect to non-registered tobacco vendors who may also sell specialty products including cigars, there is no exemption from handling prior to purchase. All the prohibitions under section 3.1, including subsection 1(b) i.e. the prohibition on displaying or permitting the display of tobacco products in a manner that “permits the purchaser to handle tobacco products before purchasing” applies fully to non-registered tobacconists and other tobacco vendors. The purpose of these particular sections are to prevent youth from accessing tobacco, and from self-service. Therefore, where a store clerk has first determined through a proper ID check that the p
